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Call script for Day of Action Call-In Day

On October 18th, we are asking everyone, no matter where you are, to call your representatives and ask that they abolish Death By Incarceration and support House Bill 2135.

HB2135 would amend the parole statute to make all people serving Death By Incarceration sentences eligible for parole after 15 years. The bill was introduced by Rep. Jason Dawkins, and co-sponsored by Re. Vanessa Lowery Brown and Rep. Leslie Acosta. The bill is currently in the House Judiciary Committee.

We are asking everyone who cares about this issue to contact both their state reps and the chairs of the House Judiciary Committee.

When contacting the House Judiciary Chairs, ask them to hold a committee hearing on the bill. You can contact them at:

Majority Chair Rep. Ron Marsico - (717) 783-2014

Minority Chair Rep. Joseph A. Petrarca - (717) 787-5142

Sample Call Script for House Judiciary Chairs:

My name is _______________ and I am a member of the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration (CADBI), is [Representative Marsico / Representative Petrarca] available?

They will likely tell you he is not available. In this case, ask if you can leave a message for him or talk to his staff person who deals with criminal justice issues. Once you’ve got them on the phone, introduce yourself and and share our the following:

Hello, my name is [your name], and I am calling to ask Representative [rep’s name] to support House Bill 2135, which creates a pathway for parole for people serving life sentences. HB2135 is good for Pennsylvania. Sentencing people to die in prison is immoral, unjust, expensive, and out of synch with the rest of the country and the rest of the world. We are asking the House Judiciary Committee chairs to hold a hearing on this bill. Can we count on your support?

If you get in a longer conversation with them and aren’t sure what to say, check out the talking points at the bottom of this page. Whatever they tell you, thank them for their time and make a note of what they tell you. If you have time, take a minute to let us know what kind of response you got either in the comments of the event facebook page or by emailing us at CADBIphilly@gmail.com.

Sample Call Script for your Representative:

My name is _______________ and I am a member of the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration (CADBI), is [your representative’s name] available?

They will likely tell you they are not available. In this case, ask if you can leave a message for them or talk to their staff person who deals with criminal justice issues. Once you’ve got them on the phone, introduce yourself and and share our the following:

Hello, my name is [your name], and I am one of [Rep’s names] constituents. I am calling to ask Representative [rep’s name] to support House Bill 2135, which creates a pathway for parole for people serving life sentences. Sentencing people to die in prison is immoral, unjust, expensive, and out of synch with the rest of the country and the rest of the world. We are asking the House Judiciary Committee chairs to hold a hearing on this bill. Can we count on you to support HB2135?

If you get in a longer conversation with them and aren’t sure what to say, check out the talking points at the bottom of this page. Whatever they tell you, thank them for their time and make a note of what they tell you. If you have time, take a minute to let us know what kind of response you got either in the comments of the event facebook page or by emailing us at CADBIphilly@gmail.com.

Talking Points on HB2135

Sentencing people to die in prison is a violation of their human rights

Sentencing people to die in prison is immoral and violates the basic principle that all people are capable of transformation.

No one should be judged only by the worst thing they have ever done. Everyone can change, and no one should be judged only by their worst act.

HB2135 reunites families and communities

Mass incarceration, and especially draconian sentencing policies like DBI, tear apart families and communities. This impacts not just the individuals receiving this sentence, but their children, partners, parents, families, and communities as well. Permanently removing people from their communities makes everyone less safe.

Pennsylvania is an outlier when it comes to Death By Incarceration sentencing

Pennsylvania prisons currently hold approximately 5,100 people serving DBI sentences. Pennsylvania has the second highest number of people serving DBI sentences of any state in the country, and is one of only six states that denies parole to people with life sentences.

Pennsylvania has the most people serving Juvenile Life Without Parole in the country. PA has more than 480 people serving JLWOP.

Death By Incarceration sentencing is racially biased

DBI disproportionately targets people of color. PA’s racially disproportionate DBI sentencing exceeds even the national average. In Pennsylvania, people serving DBI sentences are 65% Black and 8.5% Latino.

HB2135 is good for Pennsylvania’s budget

DBI sentencing means people are growing old in prison. It costs the state an average of $42,000 a year incarcerate someone in PA, but due to higher medical costs it costs approximately $66,000 a year to incarcerate elderly prisoners.

HB2135 makes financial sense. If even a quarter of the elderly prisoners serving time in Pennsylvania state prisons were paroled, the state would save $132 million a year. That money could be invested in healthcare, education, jobs, drug and alcohol treatment, and community-based reentry services.

HB2135 will not negatively impact public safety

According to the ACLU’s report At America’s Expense: The Mass Incarceration of the Elderly, “research has conclusively shown that by age 50 most people have significantly outlived the years in which they are most likely to commit crimes. For example, arrest rates drop to just over 2% at age 50 and are almost 0% at age 65.”

According to the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, only 99 lifers over the age of 50 have been released since parole’s inception. Of these 99 people, only one had been recommitted for a new crime, a recidivism rate of 1.01%. This is in comparison to a recidivism rate of approximately 60% for the system as a whole.

Many people who are serving DBI sentences are mentors, teachers, peer educators, and activists from behind the prison walls. Giving them the chance to come home would allow them to do this valuable work in the community.

HB2135 is good for Pennsylvania. Death By Incarceration sentencing is immoral, unjust, expensive, and out of synch with the rest of the country and the rest of the world.